Roky Erickson and The 13th Floor Elevators
Eyes Estrellados
The history of roky Erickson (15/07/1947 Roger Kynard Erickson, Dallas, Texas) is one of those rare sites and personal hardships that occasionally leaves the history of Rock and Roll. The success story, falling to the depths of madness and the resurrection of a name key to understanding the music of the twentieth century.
Roky Erickon is well known as a leader and founding member of The 13th Floor Elevators, a group emerged in Texas in 1965 and that in his short career under several important milestones, such as being the first to use the term "psychedelic" in the world of music , opening and one of the most important of the current 60. Was the title of his first album, "The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 12th Floor Elevators" (1966) an album that included the theme "You're Gonna Miss Me", a commercial real hit at the time, and still remains its most recognizable theme.
The sound of The 13th Floor Elevators, despite what it may seem, was not too much to do with the current psychedelic groups that emerged in the U.S. (especially in the West Coast) to mid 60s. While this started a few folk sounds andalusia adding new instrumentation to achieve that characteristic sound "friendly", the left Elevators principles much more savage and guitar, heavily influenced by the blues-rock to the point where some sources pointed out the band as a precedent about remote American Punk.
The sound of the band was known, apart from the strident guitars and distinctive nasal voice roky Erickson instrument called the Electric Jug-it certainly was his trademark style feature. The kettle was just a pitcher with a microphone attached to the bottom and which was obtained by blowing this peculiar sound.
But that first album, which was part of its success, it contained a lot of memorable themes as "Splash1," "Do not Fall Down" or "Fire Engine", which makes this debut a benchmark rather than promising for the band.
The second disc of The 13th Floor Elevators, "Eastern Everywhere" is unanimously considered by critics as his best work. With production more care and a greater variety of entries this album contains some of the best songs composed by roky Ericson for the band. There is room for energetic and hypnotic songs like "Slip Inside This House," "Slide Machine" and "Somebody To Love" but also for more introspective songs, a certain beauty as "Dust", "I Have To Tell You" or " It's All Over Now, Baby Blue, "Bob Dylan cover.
"Eastern Everywhere" (1967) does not have a clear hit like "You're Gonna Miss Me" and even though the critical reception was good, the reception was not much business, and began to emerge early differences within band, while roky Erickson began to take refuge in the consumption of all types of narcotic substances.
"Bull On The Wood" (1968), the third studio album of training not only confirmed the decline in the band's own and Erickson, very eroded and their mental faculties, to the point that most compositions are guitarist Stacy Sutherland. It goes without saying that the quality of this work was greatly diminished by these factors.
Just at this time roky Erickson begins to commit petty crimes to pay for its many additions in 1969 and eventually was arrested and sent to a psychiatric institution. Ends the story of a band and started the descent into hell of a person reduced to the minimum expression of the human condition. A teen pop star into a disinherited sentenced to a life of madness.
After the dissolution of The 13th Floor Elevators details on the biography of roky Erickson become confused and even contradictory from different sources. It seems clear that the period from 1969 to 1972 roky what happens at a psychiatric some versions claim that there was subjected to electroshock therapy and heavy medication to treat schizophrenia, but what is clear is that his departure center, in 1972, roky Erickson was no longer the same.
This is not the place to further develop mental problems and a personal situation that undoubtedly had to be difficult. What if we are talking up the race musical roky Erickson after this point. A race that much more unknown and have truly brilliant moments.
At some point in this stage roky form a new band, Bleib Alien, with a sound much harder than for Elevators and a thematic focus on science fiction and horror movies. With this new band is starting to garitos local concerts and compose new songs, like the remarkable "Two Headed Dog," "Cold Night For Alligators," "Starry Eyes" and "Stand For The Fire Demon".
Although the figure of around roky Erickson then formed a large group of fans, commercial success has not backed this new phase and the various scams on the part of promoters and producers to make that sort came under his discography is a work practically impossible since, guided by his mental condition roky signed several contracts with record labels that are distributed obscure the benefits of their works and edited numerous singles, 45RPM, lp's semi and all kinds of material with songs that may not were nothing but a tiny models with recording quality and the roky Erickson did not see a single dollar.
To come to a good start to the work of roky Erickon alone recommend the box "I Have Always Been Before: The roky Erickon Anthology" (Shout Factory, 1994) which collects all the rigorous work of the musician.
Throughout the 70 roky Erickson up an enormous amount of music of all kinds, alone, along with The Aliens and other local bands or combos like The Ressurrectionists or The Explosives. Songs ranging from the mad ferocity of "Creature With The Atom Brain" and "Bloody Hammer" to the delicately beautiful acoustic songs such as "I Have Always Been Here Before" and "You Do not Love Me Yet."
In 1981 roky Erikson said they had been abducted by an alien, and gradually disappearing from now until early music of the 90 different bands like REM start causing him to claim his return to the present. Starting to re-record some concerts and new songs.
Roky Erickson, during these three long decades living on the edge of poverty, various subsidies, abandoned to their fate without any specific treatment for their condition. Not until 2001 when his brother took their custody and roky begins to receive care and treatment.
Some of our readers surely had the chance to see him in concert recently, and recovered very happy to devote himself heart and soul into what has become a living legend: The Rock and Roll.
Listen:
You Do not Love Me Yet
Dust
Recommended Pages:
- Pagina official
- My Space for roky Erickson
Article in-Contratiempos Light
-Article in The Dream of 100,000 Philbert Desanex
